Sadiq Sanjrani

Sanjrani was born on 14 April 1978[1] in Nok Kundi, Balochistan, Pakistan.[2][3]

He received his early education from Nok Kundi and then moved to Islamabad from where he earned his master's degree.[1] According to another report, he earned his degree of Master of Arts from the University of Balochistan.[2]

Sanjrani began his political career in 1998 as coordinator of the team of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif[2] where he served until 1999 Pakistani coup d'état.[1]

In 2008, he was appointed in-charge of the Prime Minister's Yousaf Raza Gillani Grievance Cell at the Prime Minister's Secretariat where he remained for five years.[2]

Sanjrani was elected to the Senate of Pakistan as an independent candidate on general seat from Balochistan in 2018 Pakistani Senate election.[4][5] He took oath as Senator on 12 March 2018.[6] On the same day, he was elected as 8th Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan.[3][6] He received 57 votes out of total 103 votes cast and defeated Raja Zafar ul Haq, a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) who obtained 46 votes. Sanjrani was voted into chairman position by the Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and independent Senators from Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. He became the first ever Chairman of the Senate who hailed from province of Balochistan[7] and became the youngest-ever Chairman of the Senate at the age of 39.[8] He was relatively lesser known figure in Pakistan's political spectrum prior to being elected as Chairman of the Senate.[1][9][10]

In September 2018, Sanjrani addressed the National Assembly of Azerbaijan on the eve of its 100th anniversary.[11]

On the 1st of August 2019, a no-confidence motion was presented by the opposition parties in the senate to remove him from the post of the Chairman of the Senate. The resolution was tabled in the Senate with 64 senators in support of it. The no-confidence motion failed to pass because the opposition parties only gathered 50 votes, 3 votes short of the resolution passing. Sanjrani still stands as the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan after having survived the no-confidence vote. This was seem as a clear victory to the PTI government coalition and a confirmation of senators having confidence in the chairman.[12]